Crew, including Bulgarians, of hijacked vessel Galaxy Leader released
The crew of the Galaxy Leader, the vessel hijacked in the Red Sea in November 2023 by Iranian-aligned terrorist group the Houthi movement, have been released, according to reports citing Houthi-owned Al Masirah TV on January 22 2025.
The 25-member crew includes Bulgarians Lyubomir Chanev and Danail Veselinov.
In a telephone conversation with bTV, Chanev’s sister confirmed the reports of the release, bTV reported.
The Houthis from Ansar Allah said the release of the Galaxy Leader sailors was part of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. The group’s statement said the release was coordinated with Hamas and carried out with the assistance of Oman.
The crew reportedly were on their way to Oman.
Everything that needs to be done by the Bulgarian state will be done, Prime Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov told reporters, Bulgarian National Television said.
Zhelyazkov confirmed that a government aircraft was flying to Oman and will pick up Chanev and Veselinov on the night of January 22.
At the time of the hijacking, a spokesperson for the Houthi said that the group would attack all ships owned or operated by Israeli companies or flying the Israeli flag, the Jerusalem Post reported.
The Houthi movement’s slogan is “Allah Is Great, Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse on the Jews, Victory to Islam”.
The UK company that owns the vessel was founded by Israeli business person Rami Unger. The vessel bears the name of Japan’s largest shipping company, the NYK Line.
(Archive photo: Garitzko, via Wikimedia Commons)
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